Surgical forceps or clamp



Nov. 18, 1952 E ENGLISH 2,618,268

SURGICAL FORCEPS OR CLAMP Filed Jan. 25, 1950 I INVENTOR; Eogerton E. English ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 18, 1952 PATENT O'F'FIJGE,

21618368- SURGICAL releases on CLAMP E'agertonni English, Denver, Colo. n ucatiqn-Januar zs, 1950;Ser-ialNo'. 140,499

structed and arranged as to prevent two-way slip: whenr employed in connection with opera tions wherein it is necessary to engage andhdl'd' thebroad ligament or other tissue inthe female pelvis. It is,, however, equally well adapted-for use inperforming other" surgical operations wherein the prevention of two-way sli'b' is essentiall Various surgical forcepsand clamps have been made.- and particularlydesigned topreventei'th'er side slip or. end 5111: but as far" as I'-an1'"aware,.

there hasnever been a pair of forceps, or asurgical clamp available which was formed" and preportioned as to combine i'n one iri'strurnent'fea- :tu'res which wouldprevent both side slipland' e'n'd" slip. Some instruments have a'ppearedu ion the market which were supposedly designedf for"the' purpose (if?lirve'lflii'l'ig' t O Wa 'SIipp-age' bu'tshoh instruments have failed" in practiceto function a's'inten'dcd'. over a lung'rermutofactive p actice, I have yetto' find instrument which meets, or even approaches, the usefulness"v and efficiency of that of 1' my present "invention;

It therefore; one of the important objects of my present invention to provide a new and improvedpair'orfcrceps; or animproved'claniemg" device; which is of relatively simple construction an'crwhi'ch' contains new and novel tea tnies whereby: 1two=way slip in use" is" prevented.

Anothefobje'ct' of the present invention is to ro'vide a n w and improveu pair of forceps which combine" inone iris'triim'enfi mean's for preventing sideslip' e'n'd" Sena-rate; although as sociated; means for preventing end slip:-

A" further object of the present" inventionis to provideanimproved pair or surgical foreehs 40 novel means in a; single instrurnent for prwenw 50 3 Claims. (Cl. 128 -321) 2'. ing side slip and at the same time for preventing end slip. V

A further object or the present inventionis t'o provide animprovedvpairoi forceps in which pivotally connected crossed members are curved or bowed in their lengtht'o give'access replaces: which were inaccessible to instruments havmgf conventional straight or uncurved members;

A further and other important object of the present invention is to provide an improved'pafiof surgical forceps designed especiallyfor" use in grasping the broad ligament in the fmale pelvis'} in-which there is. absolutely no dangr'pf eithei side-slip or end slip occurring during their" us The foregoing and other objects of the 151 ent invention will'appearfrom' the folIowing'f-d scriptiori and appended claims when: co'n'si'd "ed in connection with the accompanyin dr'av'vi forming'a part of this specification whereifi'liki reference characters designate corres onding? parts in the several views.

In said drawing:

V Fig; I is a fragmentarytop pl-ajnview 'of one foriii of surgical forceps orciamp emb'od'ying 'tlie resent invention; in' open condition.

Figs. 2 and 3' are fragmentary perspectiveviews; soin'ewlrat enlarged; of the cob erameand? normally pivotally connected together" and crossed ligament-engaging members or" portions" ofthefor'celjsofFig; 1.

Fig; 4' is an enlarged fragmentary perspective sectional view of a portion of one of thejf liga ment-engaging' or gripping members: of the" for: cep's, illustratingon'e embodiment" of the' means for preventing sidesli'p.

5 'i jsa vertical sectiorfal view thldii'gfi-the coope'r'able ligament' en'gagin'g' or" gripping" per=- tions'of the forceps; shown -sub's-tain'tiail1yin aliases" position.

Fists is. an endfelevational view lb'okingf t ward the closed olit'erend'sf of the gri pingi'pa tion's' or members of the forceps 'o'f'the. arched; ingviews; and

Figs. '7 and s are similafandsomewhaii etilarged fragmentary perspective" views" pr? the outer end portions t'ibs; o'r terminais-crtheuig ment-g'ripping'members Oftheidrcep il st ing in detail oneer'nbodinientoft preventing sides prevnt'inE efidS-Iipf Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is to be understood also that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring now particularly to the drawing, the improved surgical forceps or clamp of the present invention is generally of scissors-like formation, comprising a pair of elongated crossed members I and II which are pivotally connected together intermediate their ends in conventional manner by means of a pivot pin, or the like, I2. Member ID is typical of the two crossed members and comprises at one side of pivot I2, a shank and a handle portion terminating in a finger or thumbreceiving loop or eye I3 and an inwardly or laterally projecting preferably ribbed or corrugated portion I4 which is adapted to cooperate with a similar portion (not shown) on member II, to hold the members It and I I closed together when desired. That portion of member ID at the op- 'posite side of pivot I2 is the ligament-gripping or engaging portion, represented as a whole at I5. The outer end or tip I6 of portion I5, as shown, terminates in the male or V-shaped single projection I? of a rat tooth-like structure or formation.

The other one of the crossed members II has at one side of pivot I2, a shank which terminates in a handle portion corresponding generally to the portions l3 and I4 of member I6, there preferably being duplicated a ring, eye, or the like member (not shown) but similar to eye I3 and a laterally projecting member, similar to member. I4. This latter member (not shown) is intended to cooperate with the so-called friction member I4 to hold the forceps in closed position.

That portion of elongated member II which is located at the opposite side of pivot I2 is the gripping portion of said member and is represented as a whole at I8. The outer end of portion I8 preferably terminates in a two-part or two-piece female member or socket I9 of a rat tooth-like structure or formation, as best seen in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, and comprising, as shown, two similarly shaped spaced members providing therebetween a substantially V-shaped groove or socket to receive the male rat tooth-member I1 when the parts are closed together, as in Fig. 6. I With particular reference to Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 7, the ligament-gripping or engaging member or portion I8 is preferably provided on its inner face or surface, with a series of corrugations, shown as a whol'eat 20, which extend longitudinally of member I3 and which provide a series of substantially parallel alternating upstanding preferably rounded ribs or projections M and similarly shaped grooves or recesses 22, see particularly Fig. 4.

As clearly seen in Fig. 1, member I8 is curved or bowed longitudinally. It will also be seen in this figure that companion and cooperating gripping member or portion I is also curved or outwardly bowed in its length.

With particular reference to Figs. 3 and 7, it will be seen that the female members or portions I9 of the rat tooth-like formation are dis- 4 posed at the outer ends of the corrugations 2i) and provide, in effect, upstanding or inwardly directed stop members defining the outer endsof said corrugations.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 5 and 8 it will be seen that gripping member or portion I5 of member ID is similarly provided with a series of corrugations, shown as a whole at 23. These corrugations also extend longitudinally of portion I5 and comprise a series of longitudinally extending projecting members or ribs 24 with intervening longitudinal valleys or grooves 25. Each of the ribs or projecting portions 24 is disposed opposite a groove or recess 22 in member I8 and each recess or depressed portion 25 is likewise disposed opposite a projection or rib 2| formed on member I8. Thus, when the members I5 and I8 are moved together the corre- 'sponding alternate longitudinal ribs and grooves of the two members will, upon closing pressure being applied to the handle portions of the forceps, interfit and cooperate to grasp the broad ligament, for example, to prevent any possibility of side slip, while at the same time the cooperating male and female members I! and I9 of the rat tooth-like formation located at the ends of portions I5 and I8, respectively, and defining the outer ends of the grooves and recesses as mentioned above, cooperate to provide stop means which positively prevent end slip with respect to the broad ligament, or the like, being gripped or engaged by the forceps.

As mentioned above, the entire members I0 and II of the forceps or surgical clamp, or at least the gripping portions I5 and I8, respectively, thereof, are preferably curved or bowed outwardly in opposite directions in their length. Where the members I0 and II are bowed throughout their length, the forceps herein give access to places not readily reached and which were virtually inaccessible with previously known and procurable surgical forceps. Moreover, the curvature or outward bowed condition of members or portions I5 and I8 permit a firmer gripping action upon the part engaged by them.

The degree of curvature of the members It and II, or of only the portions I5 and I8 thereof, may vary in accordance with the, particular job which is to be done by the forceps.

I claim:

1. Surgical forceps comprising a pair of elongated crossed members pivotally connected together for scissors-like movement, said members each having a handl portion disposed at one end and on one side of the pivotal connection and a gripping portion disposed at the opposite side of said connection, said gripping portions being bowed outwardly with relation to each other and having cooperable interfitting longitudinal corrugations formed on their opposed inner surfaces and extending substantially throughout the length of said surfaces, and a rat tooth-like formation provided on the outer free ends of the gripping portions beyond said longitudinal corrugations.

2. Surgical forceps according to claim 1, wherein the outwardly bowed gripping portions of the elongated crossed members are in converging relationship to each other, and wherein the handle portions are bowed in diverging relationship to each other, whereby to provide a spring-like action of the cross members when the gripping portions thereof are brought together in ligament-engaging position. If

3. Surgical forceps comprising a pair of elongated crossed members pivotally connected together for scissors-like movement, said members each having a handle portion disposed at one end and on one side of the pivotal connection and a gripping portion disposed at the opposite side of said connection, said gripping portions having cooperable interfitting longitudinal corrugations formed on their opposed inner surfaces, and inwardly directed interfitting male and female members formed on the outer free ends of the gripping portions beyond but adjacent the longitudinally corrugated inner surfaces, said elongated crossed members being gradually curved outwardly in opposite directions substantially 6 throughout the length thereof whereby to provide a spring-like action in the gripping portions when the forceps are in use.

EAGERTON E. ENGLISH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Catalogue (1921-4922), George P. Filling 8:

" Son Company, page 6, received in Scientific Li- (Copy in Division 

